Health Medical Education Research Articles

The study on the correlation between life events and self-concept of patients with depressive neurosis

Objective To study the correlation between life events and self-concept of patients with depressive neurosis and pro vide a basis of medical mental health education,the prevention of mental diseases and family care.Methods LES and self-concept scale were conducted among 100 cases of patients (experimental group) and 100 cases (control group) of normal persons.The results were as sessed.Results The negative life events in experimental group were much more than those of control group (P＜0.01).Life events had correlation with self-concept.Conclusions The level of self-concept was lower and subject to negative life events influence.Medical workers should increase the intervention of family,job and social activities,improve the level of mental health,caeate a favorable family en vironment,promote rehabilitation. Key words: Depressive neurosis; Life event; Self-concept; Mental health

International health in medical education: students' experiences and views

The purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences and views of the first group of medical students to complete the intercalated International Health BSc in Leeds. The paper draws on experiences of international health and draws parallels with those of other international health students. The paper also discusses how studying international health may benefit future doctors and considers how medical education can take a more international approach. The paper finds that international health education can help future doctors acquire knowledge and skills in refugees' health, patients' cultural differences, the multifactoral influences on health, policymaking, the interests of various stakeholders, problem-solving skills and evidence-based medicine. The paper shows that international health teaching is both relevant and valuable in medical education. The medical profession should give more recognition to its worth. This is the first paper to reflect on medical students' experiences of studying for an intercalated BSc at Leeds. It makes some important points about international health education for doctors and medical students world-wide.

64. International child health (ICH) education in Canadian paediatric residency programss

A national survey was conducted of current ICH exposure and curriculum in pediatric residency programs. Our objectives were to quantify ICH teaching presently occurring, to identify how programs support trainees in undertaking ICH electives during their training, to determine attitudes towards ICH amongst paediatric program directors and chief residents across the country, and to identify barriers to ICH curriculum expansion within the post-graduate programs. 
 A population census of all 44 chief residents and program directors from the 16 Canadian pediatric programs was undertaken. A self-administered survey was developed de novo for this study. Twenty-two qualitative and quantitative questions were developed under the following domains: demographics, program content, electives, attitudes and perceptions, barriers and future directions. Surveys were completed electronically. Descriptive statistics were used, and common themes were extracted from qualitative responses. 
 The response rate was 65% (29 surveys), with 81% of the training programs represented. Seventy-three percent of the program directors, and 44% of the chief residents from across the country responded. Eighty-nine percent reported that their program did not have a formal curriculum in ICH. All respondents reported some ICH related educational sessions, however certain areas felt to be key were lacking. 80% agreed that electives should be encouraged as part of residency training, but 72% indicated lack of adequate funding for these electives. Overall, 86% agreed that ICH issues are important for paediatric trainees and 84% indicated that more emphasis should be placed on ICH in the paediatric resident curriculum. Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed that their program would be interested in new initiatives regarding ICH.
 The results of this survey demonstrate that although there are opportunities for ICH exposure in most paediatric training programs, formalized curriculum is lacking. The majority of programs indicated a willingness to support the integration of an ICH curriculum into their core educational components. 
 The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada (AFMC). Towards a Medical Education Relevant to All : The Case for Global Health in Medical Education. A Report of the Global Health Resource Group. April 2006.
 Bateman C, et al. Bringing global issues to medical teaching. Lancet, 2001; 358:1539-42. 
 Edwards R, et al. Understanding global health issues: are international health electives the answer? Medical Education, 2004; 38:688-690.

Global Health in Medical Education: A Call for More Training and Opportunities

Worldwide increases in global migration and trade have been making communicable diseases a concern throughout the world and have highlighted the connections in health and medicine among and between continents. Physicians in developed countries are now expected to have a broader knowledge of tropical disease and newly emerging infections, while being culturally sensitive to the increasing number of international travelers and ethnic minority populations. Exposing medical students to these global health issues encourages students to enter primary care medicine, obtain public health degrees, and practice medicine among the poor and ethnic minorities. In addition, medical students who have completed an international clinical rotation often report a greater ability to recognize disease presentations, more comprehensive physical exam skills with less reliance on expensive imaging, and greater cultural sensitivity. American medical students have become increasingly more interested and active in global health, but medical schools have been slow to respond. The authors review the evidence supporting the benefits of promoting more global health teaching and opportunities among medical students. Finally, the authors suggest several steps that medical schools can take to meet the growing global health interest of medical students, which will make them better physicians and strengthen our medical system.

Outing Lesbian Health in Medical Education

SUMMARY Lesbian health is emerging as a distinct discipline in practice and research. Evidence is increasingly available that lesbians are a unique and underserved population in the health care system. They display reduced health seeking behaviors and have specific risk factors which potentially affect their health and well being. They also have specific health issues in fields as diverse as fertility, sexual health and mental health, which require specific knowledge from health care practitioners. Above all, lesbian health care consumers repeatedly decry the lack of sensitivity and knowledge that they experience in their interactions with providers, and call for improved training. However, medical education generally ignores lesbian health at all levels. In this paper, the inclusion of lesbian health in medical education programs is reviewed, and recent political initiatives involving gay and lesbian health in Australia are discussed. The paper concludes with suggestions to integrate lesbian health in medical training.

Patient attitudes toward issues of environmental health

Although the place of environmental health in medical education has been cautiously explored, patient attitudes toward environmental issues have been largely ignored in the medical literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the baseline level of family practice patient concerns about a variety of environmental issues, including their major sources of information and their level of trust in each source. Patient desire for more environmental education was also assessed. This cross-sectional, descriptive study was based on a confidential, 14 question survey administered to a convenience sample of 373 adult family medicine patients at 4 University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Family Medicine affiliated clinics, including 2 urban, 1 suburban, and 1 rural site. Of 496 patients approached, 415 accepted, and 373 returned complete and acceptable questionnaires. The level of patient concern for each environmental issue, patient trust in each source of information, and the amount of education patients felt they had received from their physician were measured. A high level of concern for environmental issues existed among the study sample patients. Although only 18% of patients reported utilizing their physician as a major source of environmental information, physicians were considered the most trustworthy source. In general, patients felt that they had received an inadequate amount of environmental education from their physician regarding all environmental issues presented. Patients desire and would be receptive to more environmental education from their physicians.

Introduction of a new curriculum in women’s health in medical education: a framework for change

Successful change requires effective strategies to address the potential opportunities and barriers that arise during the process. Introducing change in medical curriculum is not immune to many of these struggles. A recent change in a medical education curriculum directed at women’s health has prompted an examination of the factors active in such change. Education of Australian medical students in women’s health has traditionally been housed in the preclinical teaching of the endocrine and reproductive system and the clinical attachment of obstetrics and gynecology. Arguably, women’s health defined as a woman’s “emotional, social, cultural, spiritual, and physical well-being,” which “is determined by social, political, and economic factors as well as by women’s biology” has not been truly addressed in the above model. With the introduction of a new 4-year Graduate Entry Medical Program (GEMP), the opportunity arose to address the discrepancy in teaching women’s health. This article, using a framework for change, explores the contextual, stakeholder, timing, and resource factors inherent in this change in the medical curriculum in women’s health and discusses some solutions to potential barriers to such change.

For Debate : Public health has no place in undergraduate medical education

It is time to review the reasons for including public health in medical education. Undergraduate medical students are interested above all in the diagnosis and treatment of individual cases of disease; population-based health care means little to most students, and is seldom regarded as important. Should public health teachers concentrate their efforts in other areas, where students are more receptive? This paper presents arguments for and against the proposition that public health has no place in the undergraduate medical course. In favour of the proposition, it is argued that the clinical imperative is so firmly entrenched in the minds of students and in the cultures of medical schools that public health will always be diminished and elbowed to one side in medical curricula. Moreover, the major gains in the health of populations will be won in other arenas. Therefore public health should rupture the links with medical schools that were formed in another age and, in any event, are now weakening as public health strikes a new identity. The effort that currently goes into teaching unwilling medical students would have better returns if it was invested elsewhere. Against the proposition, it is argued that the health of populations will not be improved without participation of all groups with an interest in and an influence on health care. No group is more influential in the organization and delivery of health services than the medical profession, so it would be foolish for public health to withdraw from medical education. Moreover, effective medical practice requires an ability to think in terms of populations as well as individuals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Women's Health in Medical Education: A Program Review

Women's Health in Medical Education: A Program Review